The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-02-10
dianation flashing in her cheeks,

Its too bad OF you to laugh, Tom.
! never, never will marry that mani"
II wouldn't If were you," consoled
Tom. "But, Mary, wait and see the
man before you decide. He may be
quite decent fellow"
"No!" said Mary, shaking her head
and biting her cherry lips firmly. 81
hate him beforehand.
what spiteful little puss you are |"
said her companion laughing.
"No, Tom, Tn not" And the blue
eyes became misty. II love papa and
Ruth dearly. and ! love almost every
Professor La Place. And l want you
to promise. Tom, that you'll be my
friend, and not allow him to teaze me
into walks. or rides, or tete- tetes of
any kind. Will you?"
Would he? If she had asked him to
precipitate himself out of the pear-tree
upon the steps below, with those blue
eyes fixed on his, he'd have done 1t /; any
man of taste would.
II promised" he said, and they shook
hands on It,
What o cozy place for q chat that
gnarled old tree was.
And when they had talked over every
thing they could think of, it was the
most natural thing in the world that
Tom should recover the book which had
slipped down into the network of tiny
boughs, and read poetry to his pretty
cousin in the deep, musical voice that
maidens love to listen to.
And Mary sat there watching the jet
ty curls blowing to and fro on his broad
white brow, and the long black lashes
almost touching his olive cheeks; and
the thought how very. very handsome
Cousin Tom was, how much he had
changed in the last ten years that had
elapsed since she had seen him, and she
wondered whether Tom was engaged to
any pretty girl somehow she hoped not.
Now, why couldn't Tom have been rich,
like that horrid Professor La Place, in
stead of poor medical student. and
And when the large, black eyes were
suddenly lifted to hers, Mary felt as
though he had read every thought Of
her mind, and blushed scarlet.
"Come, Tom," she chartered, to. hide
her confusion. "we've been up here long
enough. Help me down and I will
show you the old sun dial that we used
to heap up with buttercups when We
were children"
A rumble Of wheels; it was the re-
turning carriage, and Mary chung to
Toms arm.
"The awful professor!" she whis-
pered. "Now, Cousin Tom, be sure
you stand by me through everything"
"To my life's end!" was the whis-
pered answer.
But there was no one in the carriage
save Mr.. Thorne and Ruth.
It drew up an the grand sweep be-
side the two COUSINS.
"Where's the professor
HE was not at the depot" said
Ruth 'sand-"
But Mr.. Thorne had sprung from
the carriage and clasped both the
stranger hands in his.
Ella Place, is it possible! Why, we
have just been looking for you at Mill
Station"
II am sorry to have Inconvenience
you, SIR" was the reply; "but came
by the way of Wharton, and walked
over this morning."
"Never mind now, SO you are safely
here!" exclaimed the old gentleman.
Ruth, my dear-Mary, let me intro
duce you to your cousin. Professor La
Place"
Mary had dropped his arm. and
stood dismayed.
"You told me that you were Cousin
Tom"
"That is my name, and I believe I
am a distant cousin by relationship.
Now, Mary" and the black eyes
sparkled. "don't be angry because I
don't take snuff nor wear spectacles.. I
beg the other Cousin Toms pardon,
whoever he is; but am very glad he
isn't here. Mary, be just, and don't
hate Cousin Tom because his other
name happens to be La Place"
But no doubt it was very perplex-
/ ing thing to have two Cousin Toms
and so, about six months subsequently
Miss Mary contrived to obviate that in
convenience by allowing one of them to
assume nearer relationship; and, in
spite of her asseverations to the con-
trary, she is Mrs. Professor La Place.
For it's solemn fact in this world,
that whenever q girl says she never,
never will do thing, she is pretty sure
to do it the first chance she gets; and
Mary is no exception to the general
rule